The Beast Released
by Dark Ravenette
Summary: A mysterious group seems to be the cause of murders around the city. When Nick investigates, he finds himself faced with an old familiar face.
1. The Crime

Author's Note: I write too much Forever Knight fic, but gosh darn it, it's fun. All right, the disclaimer...the character's aren't mine, with exception of Barbara and Mark. And heck, Barbara isn't mine for a long time anyway. Just read the story. R/r if you want to. 

====================== 

"I told you, I'm not that kind of girl!" Barbara screamed at Mark. "I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole!"  
  
The alley they were in was completely deserted except for the lurking shadows, which in themselves were creepy. At this hour, Mark knew he was totally safe in confronting Barbara like this.  
  
"Come on, Babs," a smarmy smile appeared on his face. "We both know you're lying on two counts. One: you have the worst reputation at the university. Two: I've noticed you watching me in the lecture hall. You're just dying to get a piece of this." He grabbed the crotch of his pants. "I'll double my offer. One hundred dollars."  
  
"I said no!" She was getting frantic now. If Mark decided to get violent, she would not be able to defend herself, and there was no one around to hear a struggle. Barbara looked around to see if there was anything she could throw or hit Mark with. Nothing was around but the dumpster she was now backed against.  
  
Mark was getting angry. The school whore was turning him down. He would not allow this to happen. "Will this change your mind?" he asked as he pulled a switchblade knife from his pants' pocket. Barbara's heart jumped into her throat. "Well?" he demanded.  
  
"I...I...uh.." Barbara was too scared to speak.  
  
Mark lost it. "If not, I'll finish you now!!"  
  
Barbara had been right. No one heard her scream in terror and pain.  
  
======================  
  
Red and blue lights reflected crimson and purple off of the pool of blood beside the blond girl lying dead in the alley. The black and white units had responded to the call ten minutes before Nick. Now, forensics was taking care of the body, and Nick stayed off to the side while questioning to the man who had called it in. The gentleman's German shepherd looked quite impatient and pulled on the leash.  
  
"So, you didn't actually hear anything happening?" the detective asked, his notebook open to a fresh page.  
  
"No, I was walking Krieger down the block when his ears perked up, and he mad dashed over to this alley. At first, I didn't see what could have been bothering him, But then I noticed a lady's bag crammed behind the dumpster. I looked behind it and found her. Krieger must have smelled the blood." He reached down to pet the dog. "He used to be a police dog, you know. He got too old though. Apparently, he hasn't lost his touch. Anyway, as soon as I found the body, I ran to the nearest payphone and called you guys."  
  
Nick nodded and flipped shut his notebook. "Thank you, Mr. Anderson. We'll get in touch with you if we need you. If you remember anything else, don't hesitate to call us. Ask for Detective Knight."  
  
Mr. Anderson nodded and pulled on the leash. Together, he and the dog walked through the police barricade and started back home.  
  
Nick walked over to where Natalie was standing, making sure to walk far enough away from the body as to avoid any unwanted reactions. He had been a little edgy lately, and this was not what he needed to control himself.  
  
Despite his attempts, he could feel the tips of his fangs dig into his lower lip. Nick bowed his head and closed his eyes, hoping no one was watching him. He blocked his mind to everything, trying to regain control of his vampire nature.  
  
"Nick, are you okay?" Natalie's voice snapped him back to reality. "You look a little pale, even for you."  
  
When Nick gazed up at her, the feral yellow glow still presented itself in his eyes. Nat quickly looked around to see who was watching.  
  
"Nick, are you crazy?" she turned back to him.  
  
"I can't stop it, Nat," he growled under his breath.  
  
"Well, try to," she demanded. "Feel lucky Tracy isn't here to see you like this. I swear, she's been seeing vampires under every rock."  
  
Nick scowled and walked further away from the crime site. Natalie followed him. By the time they had reached the Caddy, Nick had managed to change his eyes back to normal blue and to retract his fangs.  
  
The Caddy was parked under one of the only streetlamps in the area. Nick had focused on it to regain his composure, but only now did he truly look at it. The pole was covered with flyers, but one caught his attention. The first line drew his gaze:  
  


Attention denizens of the night! Are you afraid of  
being alone for the rest of eternity? Or do you have  
an opinion on how we should live our existence?  
Join The Dark Angels. Meetings at midnight. 

  
  
  
Nick ripped the flyer off the pole. The address was at the bottom, and it fell dangerously close to home.  
  
"What is that?" He had forgotten that Natalie was beside him. He handed her the paper. As she read it, her eyes widened.  
  
"Nick, you don't think...?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. Someone from the Community has an idea, and I don't think it's a good one."  
  
======================  
  
Mark ran into his dorm building and slammed shut the door. He instantly regretted it because it left a bloody handprint where he had touched it. He shot up the stairs and into his room. Another print that he would have to clean up. First, he would have to wash his hands.  
  
He ran into the bathroom and turned on the faucet, quietly thanking God that his roommate, Ryan, was not at home. He threw his hands under the running water.  
  
"I did it," he thought to himself. "I actually killed someone. All by myself. Just me and--" Mark suddenly felt as if his heart had stopped. The knife. He patted at his pockets. Nothing.  
  
"I dropped it," Mark said as he flashed back to his flee of terror. He remembered stabbing the slut, taking off, and then hearing the click of something small falling to the pavement.  
  
"I have to get it back, or they'll know I failed."  
  
======================  
  
"She was a student at the university." Natalie was back at the body, finishing the pre-autopsy inspection. "Her ID says her name was Barbara Baker. Approximate time of death: an hour ago. She was stabbed in the midchest, and then her throat was slashed. Rough job, someone was in a hurry."  
  
Nick still stood away from the body, but he was not worried about keeping control. Instead, he was using his vampire senses to try to find something to help him find the killer. He glanced around and caught sight of something small beside the wall, fifty feet away from the perimeter of the crime scene. He walked over and picked up the object. The switchblade was covered with blood, but Nick barely noticed. He was staring at the engraving on the hilt. In Gothic letters popped out the words "Dark Angels." 


	2. The Meeting

  
"You found this near the murder site? Why didn't you show it to Reese?"  
  
Natalie had dropped by the loft to give Nick the next-of-kin information when he showed her the knife.  
  
"Look at the hilt."  
  
The discovery shocked her. "It's the club on the flyer!"  
  
"Can you imagine what would happen if I did turn it in to the captain. He'd go to investigate and probably find a lair of none-to-pleased vampires who obviously don't care too much for our laws. I mean, they advertise in wide public and left a calling card at a murder scene."  
  
"Are you going to look into it?" Her eyes were darting back and forth in excitement.  
  
"I have to," he replied. "This is my territory, and I'm not about to let some renegade vampires blow the rest of our secret. Besides, the address puts it almost right down the street."  
  
"So, tonight?" Nat questioned.  
  
"Tonight at midnight."  
  
======================  
  
Inside an abandoned warehouse, its long-since-used lights flicked on. About 40 people circled around one unlucky individual. A tall man dressed in a black robe stood before the unfortunate one.  
  
"How went your mission, Mark?" asked the robed one. "Did you succeed in your task?"  
  
Mark looked into the face under the robe and remembered why he feared this man. Santino towered above him. Santino towered above everyone, but it was not so much his height that intimidated Mark. It was his eyes. The ice blue pallor of his eyes could freeze anyone in their step, and usually did. Plus, if Santino became upset or bothered by anything, a golden tint seemed to appear. Mark wondered how Santino did it. He also pondered if he would be able to face the Leader if he cowered before one of his minions.  
  
"Well, I succeeded in killing the girl with no witnesses." Mark saw a smile grow on Santino's face, so he regretted telling Santino the rest of the story.  
  
"There's a problem though. I lost the knife. And I think the cops got a hold of it."  
  
Santino's smile vanished.  
  
======================  
  
It had taken everything to keep Natalie from following him, but Nick finally managed to strike a deal with her. She would stay behind only if he had some kind of company with him. Nick had suggested bringing Sidney, but Nat was not too happy with the cat idea. So, Nick flew over to the church and asked the Tracy-less Vachon to help him instead. Something told Nick that he would have preferred the cat, but it was too late.  
  
The two vampires rushed to the address on the flyer. Finding an open window, they sneaked in. It did not take long before they found the door leading to the congregation.  
  
"There's got to be almost twenty mortals in here," Vachon said.  
  
The cat wouldn't have spoken, Nick chuckled to himself. He then turned serious and peered through the door.  
  
"So you have failed?" a huge robed figure asked a shaking mortal. Nick could sense the vampire nature of the hooded man. Pretty young, maybe a century old, but the human still had a reason to be afraid. The young vampire was about to lose his cool.  
  
"Please, Santino. I can get the blade back. Just give me some time." The mortal started to panic and back away from Santino.  
  
"No extra time," the vampire said, advancing on the mortal. "your initiation was in failure. The Leader would not be pleased." Santino placed his hands on either side of the boy's face. "I'm sorry, Mark." With that, Santino snapped Mark's neck as easily as a human swats a fly.  
  
"Let this be a lesson to all," Santino continued, letting Mark's body slip from his hands. "You _are_ welcome here, but the Leader will not tolerate failures. If you are accepted, the other Dark Angels will protect you from harm for the rest of your existence. And you will elude this fate," he said, pointing at Mark.  
  
Nick had seen enough. He grabbed Vachon's sleeve and led him back through the way they had come.  
  
They never noticed every vampire turning to watch them leave their spot. 


	3. The Attack

Nick and Vachon did not care about using the door. They flew in through the skylight and landed by the couch.  
  
"They killed that guy right in front of other mortals!" Vachon had been in a state of disbelief since they had left the warehouse.  
  
Nick walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle. Pulling the cork out with his teeth, he spat the cork away and chugged down the bottle's contents. He offered a bottle to the younger vampire. Vachon gladly accepted and mimicked Nick to a tee.  
  
"Give me a minute," Nick said as he walked toward the phone. He speed-dialed Natalie at the coroner's office. As the answering machine picked up, he sighed. Figures she wouldn't be there, he thought to himself. Beep.  
  
"Hi Nat. Listen, we're back, no problem. Call me when you get back. It's important."  
  
He hung up the phone, turned around, and found Vachon gone. The younger vampire had made it a point to carefully balance his bottle on the stair railing and fly back out through the skylight.  
  
Nick yawned. It had been a long night and he needed some sleep. He went upstairs, careful to turn off the lights, and curled up in his bed. He fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.  
  
======================  
  
"...problem. Call me when you get back. It's important."  
  
Natalie listened to her messages. Nick must have called while she was talking with Grace. She had just expected to talk for five minutes, not an hour and a half. She called Nick and waited for either Nick or his machine to pick up.  
  
The line opened, and Nat anticipated Nick's hello, but the line stayed silent.  
  
"Hello?" Nat spoke into the phone. "Nick? Are you there?"  
  
"Nick cannot come to the phone right now," a raspy voice answered Natalie. "He's going to be busy for a long time." The line went dead.  
  
Nat slammed the phone down and grabbed her coat and keys. She dashed to her car, determined to reach Nick before it was too late.  
  
======================  
  
Nick had been dreaming of the past. Lacroix's bright eyes when they had met, first learning how to hunt, deciding not to kill people anymore. Eight hundred years flashed through his mind as he slept. Moving from Europe to America, losing Janette, becoming cop. Meeting Natalie.  
  
Suddenly, he snapped awake. He gazed around the room and saw dozens of eyes staring back at him. Dozens of glowing eyes. Each pair of fangs gleamed, reflecting the light of the candle that each vampire was carrying.  
  
About twelve vampires surrounded his bed. Nick tried to jump up, but four pairs of hands grabbed him and held him to the bed. A hooded figure stepped forward. Nick recognized. Santino.  
  
"Nick Knight. You have been found guilty by The Dark Angels of spying on your peers. You will be presented to the Leader for your sentence."  
  
They picked up Nick and carried him, kicking and screaming, up through the still open skylight and back to the warehouse.  
  
======================  
  
As Natalie drove up, she was rattled when she heard a bellow of terror and anger streak overhead.  
  
She punched in the security code and took the stairs two at a time. She could not wait for the elevator. She pushed open the door.  
  
"Nick!" Her voice echoed, filling the room with a sense of fear. Not only was Nick not answering, but Natalie had started to smell smoke. Not a good thing in the lair of a vampire.  
  
Nat dashed up the stairs to Nick's upper floor and into the bedroom. There she found the source of the smoke: Nick's bed sheets were on fire. She quickly bundled the sheets together to snuff out the fire. She started to walk out, but stopped when she saw the many candles lying on the floor. There was more than one other person here, her mind frantically repeated.  
  
She ran back down to her car and sped to Vachon's church. 


	4. The Encounter

The multiple pairs of hands threw Nick down in front of a black desk. A dark cloth covered the desk, making it appear like an altar. The back of a chair faced Nick from behind the desk.  
  
When Nick tried to rise from the floor, powerful hands pushed him back down. His new buddy, Santino, began talking to the person sitting in the chair.  
  
"Leader, this is the traitor we discussed before. Known as Nick Knight, he was caught spying on a meeting of your Dark Angels."  
  
"Is this true?" The voice of the mystery man sounded young, about twenty-ish, but it also sounded full of experience and knowledge. Obviously a vampire, and an old one at that.  
  
"The Enforcers will hear of your 'club.' This goes completely against our laws," Nick yelled from the floor, fangs bared and eyes aglow. "You won't get away with this."  
  
"Leave us," the voice instructed Santino and the others. Santino seemed hesitant to leave Nick alone with his Leader, but he did not wish to disobey. He turned and walked out the door, followed by the others. When they were gone, Nick watched as the chair slowly turned around.  
  
The vampire sitting in the chair had sandy blond hair, much like Nick's, but longer. His thin frame barely seemed intimidating, but Nick could understand why the others followed this one. Old age radiated from this vampire.  
  
He's almost as old as I, Nick thought.  
  
"Well, well. So _you're_ the infamous Nick Knight. Second oldest vampire in Toronto. It's been a long time, Nicholas de Brabant."  
  
Nick tried to remember where he might have seen this vampire before. He did not look familiar to Nick, except for one thing. His eyes. They reminded Nick of his childhood. Growing up with a purity and innocence unlike anyone else. They reminded Nick of his sweet sister, Fleur.  
  
Nick relaxed and pulled up his fangs. Despite his attempts, tears welled up in his eyes.  
  
"Andre? Is it you?"  
  
The younger vampire smiled. "I'm surprised you actually recognize me. I've changed since you last saw me."  
  
"How could I not recognize my own nephew, the only son of my sister?" On her death bed, Fleur had asked Nick to take care of Andre for her. He had tried his best, but it was impossible to care for the child and keep his secret as well. One fated night, Andre walked in on Nick as he had been feeding. Andre had run out in terror.  
  
This whole scene flashed through Nick's mind. "I thought I had lost you," he said to Andre.  
  
His nephew's smile faded. "In a way, you did. After that night, I had to live on whatever I could find on the streets. I changed from the sweet little boy that you had known into a kid who would do anything to survive. I swindled, stole, even killed if it helped me live. One night, I tried to pick the pockets of a well-dressed man, a vampire, passing in the streets. I almost got away with it, but at the last minute, he felt my presence. Fortunately for me, he admired my cunning and skills. Instead of killing me, he turned me into the 'man' I am today."  
  
"Where's your sire now?" Nick inquired.  
  
"Dead," Andre started to grin again. "He tried to control me. I don't play that way. So, while he slept, I had a mortal friend drag him out into the sunlight. That was seven hundred years ago. Quite a time to think of what I would do if I met you again."  
  
A knock sounded at the door. "Enter," Andre replied. The door opened, and Santino came in, followed by four others who were dragging someone. Vachon.  
  
"We captured the other spy, my Leader. As you requested, we returned shortly before sunrise, giving an impossibility of the captured' escape."  
  
"Well done, Santino," Andre responded. "Take them down to their new home." He turned to face Nick. "Usually, we punish spies and people threatening to contact the Enforcers with instantaneous death, but since you're family, you shall be allowed to live. That is, as long as you _can_ without food. Take them!"  
  
Santino and his goons grabbed Nick and carried him and Vachon down a long flight of stairs. Even though they were flying, it seemed to take forever. Finally, both of them were thrown into a single cell.  
  
Nick crawled over to Vachon. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, man. Just a headache," Vachon responded.  
  
"Such camaraderie," Santino mocked through thick metal bars. "It will not last. I guarantee that in a few days time, you'll be trying to rip each other apart to get at any sustenance the other might have. It would be futile to try to escape. These bars are impossible to bend but a little, and there are no windows. Have fun."  
  
The Dark Angels left Nick and Vachon in their cell. The two looked at each other, fearing that Santino's words might be true.  
  
======================  
  
Natalie had arrived at Vachon's a moment too late. She drove up just as four vampires took to the sky, carrying a struggling Vachon. She knew she could not do anything. Unless she could save them from wherever they were taking them. The warehouse! She started to go to the warehouse, but realization slapped her in the face. Was it on Cherry Street or Berry Street? She could not remember. Her only hope was to find the flyer with the address. Natalie revved the engine and sped to Nick's loft. 


	5. The Failed Rescue

Natalie spent days tearing Nick's loft apart, looking for the flyer. She searched everywhere. Nothing. It was driving her crazy. The more time it took, the more trouble Nick could be in. Furthermore, she had to constantly cover for him when Reese called, complaining that both of his top detectives were gone. Tracy vacationing and Nick "ill." What were the odds?  
  
After four days, she could not take it anymore. She had to find Nick, and now. There was no way she would find the flyer here. She had to take a long shot and try to find another one on the streets.  
  
======================  
  
Her search paid off. After about five hours of searching, Natalie found another flyer. Cherry Street. It took her no time to speed-demon it over to the warehouse. To her dismay, every door was locked. She looked at her watch. Ten o'clock. They would open the doors in two hours, but she could not wait. Each hour could mean Nick's death. Instead, she looked around for an alternate way to get in.  
  
She spotted an open window, so she pulled over a trash can to stand on so she could reach it. For not the first time, she wished that she had some of Nick's powers so she could just fly through the window. She managed to pull herself up and inside the warehouse.  
  
When she pulled herself in, she lost her balance and fell to the floor. Right to the feet of a very tall man. From underneath the man's black hood, Natalie noticed a pair of vibrant red glowing eyes.  
  
Nat suddenly though of the cartoon character of Homer Simpson and the perfect phrase for a moment like this.  
  
"Doh!"  
  
======================  
  
"I caught her trying to sneak in, and I sent others to get rid of her car."  
  
Santino was addressing Andre, and the elder of the two looked less than pleased.  
  
"I was looking for a friend of mine." Santino's grip was forcing Natalie to the floor, so she had to look up to face Andre.  
  
"Nicholas Knight, no doubt," Andre scowled at her. "Too bad. He can't see anyone right--" He stopped and a creepy smile appeared on his face, showing just a small bit of fang. "On second thought, he's been such a good boy. He deserves some company. Bring here to go visit, Santino."  
  
======================  
  
Natalie was carried down the stairs and held before a large cell. Barely any light was shining except that from a low wattage bulb. Nat looked at the cell. The metal bars were bent slightly, as if someone had tried to get out. She noticed two heaps in the far corners, but in the bad light she could not tell what they were.  
  
Santino opened the cell and threw Natalie in. She fell to the floor and watched as Santino slammed the door shut and started back up the stairs.  
  
As the sound of his footsteps faded away, Natalie stood up and quickly glanced around. Out of the corner of her eye, she detected movement in the far corner to her left. To her horror, the heap stood up and started walking toward her. As it grew closer, her eyes focused, and she recognized the "thing" walking to her. Vachon looked horrible. His long black hair hung limp around his face. His clothes were torn and ratted, as if they had been clawed. The worst was his eyes. Normal brown substituted with bright yellow, they were blank like animal eyes. No emotion appeared in them. Only extreme hunger. He glared at her with anticipation, knowing that she was unable to stop him if he decided to attack her.  
  
"Vachon, stop!" growled the heap in the other corner. Natalie watched as Nick rose from his crouched position on the floor. He quickly ran over to Vachon and slammed the younger vampire into the bars.  
  
"Don't you dare touch her!" he yelled as Vachon fell to the ground. "You stay away from her!"  
  
Nick turned toward Natalie. She gasped as she saw the same hungry look in his eyes as she had seen in Vachon's.  
  
"'Cause she's mine." 


	6. The End

Natalie had never seen Nick when he was this bad. His wavy blond hair was wild around his face. Like Vachon, his clothes were clawed to shreds. Nearly-healed cuts covered his exposed skin where either his or Vachon's talons had come in contact. But his eyes. Their blank stare bore into her, as if Nick could see through her skin and could focus on the blood flowing through her veins. Natalie could not find any bit of the Nick she knew and loved in those eyes. She only saw a wild, starved, sadistic animal.  
  
As he staggered toward her, Nat slowly backed away, trying to figure out how she would get out of this one.  
  
In no time, he was less than five feet away. This is it, she thought. I'm done for.  
  
Her salvation came just in time. Just as Nick was about to grab her, Vachon pushed himself off the floor and barreled into Nick.  
  
"I saw her first!" he screamed, tearing at Nick with his sharp claws. Even though they should have been weak, their incredible hunger fueled their fighting power, and it soon became an all-out aerial battle. The two vampires flew at one another, each trying to bash the other to the ground. The whole time that they fought, they kept their eyes on the prize, Natalie--  
  
Who had suddenly come up with an idea.  
  
"Guys, wait! I think I know how we could get out of here." She did not expect them to listen to someone who they had planned on turning into a midnight snack, but to her surprise they stopped fighting and listened. As she spoke, she noticed one of them twitch once in a while from hunger.  
  
"This is going to take a miracle," she told herself. "But it's the only chance we have."  
  
======================  
  
Santino and Andre stood upstairs, preparing for the evening's meetings of The Dark Angels. Word was that there would be several new members joining tonight, and they had to choose the tasks that the new members had to perform for initiation.  
  
They had finally decided on several ideas when a horrible roar sounded from below. The force of the scream rattled the window, and would have broken them if Andre had not ordered they be boarded shut to keep other intruders out.  
  
"Sounds as though Uncle Nicholai has discovered his guest. Santino, be so kind as to remove the body so that it doesn't start smelling up the place."  
  
Santino nodded and started walking down the stairs.  
  
======================  
  
When he reached the bottom floor, Santino looked into the cell and saw the girl's body lying close to the back. Between the two heaps in the corners.  
  
He opened the door and stepped in. "You two had better stay where you are. You may have been fed, but it will take more than one victim for you to be able to attack me and win. I'll tear you in half before you even get one hit off of me."  
  
He bent down to pick up Natalie. Just as he lifted her body, Nat quickly grabbed his arms. Santino was so surprised that he did not even think about tearing his arms out of the group of the mere mortal.  
  
"Now!" Natalie yelled. Nick and Vachon rose from the floor and rushed at Santino. The surprised vampire dropped Natalie, but failed to get his arms up fast enough to protect himself.  
  
The momentum of their running at him sent Santino crashing into the side of the cell. Natalie turned away the moment Nick raised his claws against Santino. This might have been her idea, but she did not have to like it.  
  
Fortunately for Santino, he could not watch even if he wanted to. Nick's slash across his face connected right with his eyes, blinding him instantly. He flailed around, trying to protect himself, but it was futile. Nick and Vachon continued their vicious attack, slashing at and into Santino, until their combined efforts succeeded in severing Santino's head from his body. Before the unlucky vampire's body hit the dirt, Nick and Vachon were running up the stairs.  
  
Natalie stayed behind, partly because she could not run that fast and partly because she was shocked. Shocked that it had worked. Shocked of Nick and Vachon's ferocity. She looked down at Santino's lifeless body, which was rapidly turning to ashes. It reminded Natalie of Richard and his demise by a broomstick through the heart.  
  
She turned and walked out of the cell. She carefully closed and locked the door, just in case. Natalie looked back one last time and then started up the stairs after her friends.  
  
======================  
  
Andre was about to open the doors to the people waiting outside for the Dark Angels meeting when he sensed that something was wrong. Other vampires around him must have sensed it too, because they all turned to face the door to the stairs. Just in time to see Nick and Vachon bolt into the room.  
  
It was a massacre.  
  
Fueled by a power equal to the First Hunger, the two had no trouble tearing their opponents to shreds. Though they might have tried, the other vampires could not defend themselves. Vachon had broken some of the boards off of the windows, giving them sharp points, and shoved them through the chests of any vampires advancing on him. Faces were slashed; limbs were torn off, and many died in the same fashion of Santino. Soon, Andre was the only Dark Angel still alive.  
  
Vachon started to advance on Andre, pointed plank in hand, but Nick stopped him. It took a lot, but he stopped Vachon. After Nick was sure that Vachon would not go after him, Nick turned to face Andre.  
  
"Why, Andre?" Nick questioned, slowly walking toward his nephew and still twitching with blood lust. "Why did you even start this damned club? These damned Dark Angels?"  
  
Andre knew he was cornered, so he decided to tell the truth. "I was lonely. Seven centuries are a long time to be by myself. Age brings power and respect, so I knew that the younger vampires would wish to be near me. I was just tired of being alone."  
  
"And the mortals?" Vachon asked.  
  
"The more the merrier."  
  
In that instant, Nick saw a shade of the young boy he had left behind so many years ago. Andre no longer looked like the hardened man/beast from before, but like the scared nephew that Nick had promised to protect.  
  
Promised to protect.  
  
Nick halted midstep and faced Andre. The trio of vampires just stood there in silence. Finally, Nick spoke up.  
  
"Go," he said to Andre, pointing to the door. "Leave Toronto."  
  
Andre looked shocked, but knew not to look a gift vampire in the mouth. He shuffled toward the door and opened it to the night. "I'm sorry," he told the people standing beyond the doors, "but The Dark Angels are no more. Get on with your lives." With that, he walked out and closed the door behind him.  
  
======================  
  
"You let him go?" Vachon yelled at Nick, eyes flashing. "Why the hell did you let him go?"  
  
"We are not the ones to decide his punishment. Besides, the Enforcers will find him soon enough." Nick said this aloud, but to himself he thought, 'Hide, Andre. I can't protect you from them, only from myself."  
  
"I guess you're right." Vachon replied. "Let's hope they find him quickly."  
  
"Yeah," Nick mentioned disheartened. "Sure."  
  
======================  
  
"Nick!" Natalie called as she entered the room. She stopped short when she saw the carnage before her. Bodies were lying everywhere, some nearly dust and some just beginning to disintegrate. It was hard to tell exactly how many bodies were there because many were in several different pieces, with a limb here and a torso there. Some had wooden boards sticking through their chests. And in the middle of all of it stood Nick and Vachon covered in vampire blood. They both whipped around to face her the moment they heard her voice, eyes still blazing.  
  
'Shit, they're still hungry,' Nat thought, and she took a couple steps back.  
  
"Don't worry, Nat. We're going back to the loft." Nick seemed to read her mind. Both vampires walked to the now-unboarded window, and, before Natalie could blink, were gone.  
  
"Okay, I'll just walk," Natalie told the empty room. She exited through the door and headed home. "Nice night for it." 


	7. The Aftermath

The moment that Nick and Vachon landed in the loft, they both ran for the fridge. Vachon, in his fervor, literally tore the door off of its hinges. Between the two of them, they emptied the entire refrigerator, and it had contained ten bottles.  
  
An hour later, they were both sitting in the living area; Nick in the chair and Vachon on the couch. Both had their last bottle in their hand, and instead of gulping it down like before, they were taking calm sips.  
  
"I'll buy you a new one, I promise."  
  
"It's okay, Vachon. It's just a meaningless appliance."  
  
"You sure mellowed a lot. On any other day, you would have killed me for doing less."  
  
Nick smiled. "Yeah, well, just don't touch the Caddy."  
  
"Agreed." Vachon returned the smile. The grin quickly turned into a look of concern. "What's the _real_ reason you let that S.O.B. go?"  
  
Nick's smile vanished as well. "I felt that I owed him one. For failing him in the past."  
  
"The past?" Vachon questioned. "What past did you two have?"  
  
Nick gave him a puzzled look. "You don't know? Andre is my nephew."  
  
"Your nephew? Well, that explains a lot." Vachon looked at his watch. "I'd better get going. It'll be kinda sunny soon." He started to walk to the elevator door, but he hesitated. "Could you possibly give me Dr. Lambert's number?" he asked Nick. "I think I should apologize for almost trying to kill her."  
  
"I plan on doing the same thing later. I'll tell her you say the same."  
  
Vachon nodded and left through the elevator. Nick went upstairs and planned on taking a nap, but that idea fell through when he saw the huge hole burned into his sheets. Instead, he went back downstairs in order to watch a movie, but he was out cold before the opening credits stopped rolling.  
  
======================  
  
Andre walked down the alley, trying to decide what to do. One thing kept ringing in his mind: 'I can't believe he let me go.'  
  
He stepped through the police tape that blocked a section of the alley. The smell of old dried blood lingered in his nose. Suddenly, he sensed a strong presence behind him.  
  
When he turned around, he saw two powerful vampires facing him. Andre gulped when he saw the extremely sharp stakes in their hands.  
  
"Hello, Andre," the taller one addressed him, baring his fangs as he spoke. "We've come to talk to you."  
  
The Enforcers advanced on Andre, not giving him a chance to fly off. When Andre's scream rang out, no one heard it.  
  
======================  
  
The next afternoon, Nick called Natalie and asked her to come over. It took her a while since she had to wait for the bus. It was worth it though. When she opened the door to the loft, she was greeted by Nick and two dozen red roses.  
  
"And to what do I owe this surprise?" she asked, gently accepting the flowers.  
  
"An apology," Nick said. "For almost ruining everything we've worked at."  
  
"Well, I allow a little backsliding for starving vampires," she joked. "But you didn't carry out what you were thinking of doing, and for that I'm impressed."  
  
Natalie took off her coat and sat down on the couch. Nick followed and sat down beside her. A serious expression covered his face. "You saw a side of me that I never wanted anyone to see."  
  
"Well, just don't let it happen again," she told him. "Truth is, you really did scare me. I never thought that you were capable of that kind of violence."  
  
"Neither did I," he added. "I've never been that hungry. Or angry. It was unfortunate that you were the first person to be there."  
  
"How come you didn't attack Vachon?"  
  
"I think we both just wanted to prove Santino wrong. We were both about to lose it though."  
  
"Well, I guess it's a good thing I showed up then." Nat stated.  
  
"Yes, it is."  
  
They both smiled at each other. Natalie looked around the loft.  
  
"What happened to your refrigerator?"  
  
"Oh, Vachon says that he's sorry too." 


End file.
